Mulled Wine Christmas Trifles

There is something so nostalgic and retro about these Mulled Wine Christmas Trifles! Dive in to enjoy layers of mulled wine jelly, creamy orange mascarpone, and soft panettone sponge. Elegantly finished with ground cinnamon, frosted cranberries, and a snowflake gingerbread biscuit, they’re a perfect dessert to enjoy over Christmas!

This recipe is created in partnership with Whittard of Chelsea. I only recommend products that I personally love, use and trust!

How to Make the Mulled Wine Jelly

First of all, let’s talk about the ingredients needed to make the mulled wine jelly:

• Whittard Mulled Wine Instant Tea: The star ingredient to sweeten and infuse the jelly with non-alcoholic mulled wine flavour with hints of cloves, orange, and spices.
• Vegetarian gelatine powder: I used Dr Oetker Vege-gel to make this recipe suitable for vegetarians, but regular gelatine works too.
• Cold water: The base for blooming the gelatine.
• Cinnamon stick: Infuses the jelly with a warm, festive spice.
• Cranberry juice: Provides a tart, fruity flavour and sweetness to the jelly.

The jelly is easy and quick to make. Simply dissolve the vegetarian gelatine powder in a saucepan of cold water. Then add the cinnamon stick, cranberry juice, and three tablespoons of Whittard Mulled Wine Instant Tea. If using vegetarian gelatine the mixture needs to be brought to a boil to activate the gelatine. If you’re using regular gelatine, heat the mixture until the powder is dissolved but do not let it boil. Divide the liquid evenly between four serving glasses and pop in the fridge to set for at least 2 hours.

Quick & Easy Orange Mascarpone Cream

While the jelly sets, gather these ingredients and whip up the orange mascarpone cream:

• Mascarpone cheese: Rich, creamy and slightly sweet, mascarpone cheese is a wonderful base for the creamy layer in these trifles.
• Orange: Zest and juice adds bright, citrusy notes to the Christmas trifles.
• Icing sugar: Sweetens the cream without overpowering it.
• Double Cream: Adds lightness and volume to the mascarpone layer. Double cream is also called heavy cream or whipping cream.

The orange mascarpone cream comes together in a matter of minutes. First whisk the mascarpone, orange zest, juice, and icing sugar together until smooth. Pour in the double cream and whisk on high speed until thickened. Be careful not to overwhisk, as this can cause the cream to split. If it does split, don’t worry—just drizzle in a bit more double cream and stir gently to bring it back to a smooth texture.

How To Assemble The Trifles

Once the jelly has fully set, it’s time to assemble your Christmas trifles. First, get all the elements ready. Spoon the cream into a piping bag and snip off the end. Slice a mini panettone into even layers and trim to size so they fit neatly in your glasses. Gather your decorative bits and bobs. Now layer the trifles as follows.

1. Pipe a generous layer of orange mascarpone cream over the jelly.
2. Layer a slice of panettone on top and press down gently.
3. Repeat with another layer of cream.
4. Finish with a dusting of cinnamon, frosted cranberries, and a snowflake gingerbread biscuit (either homemade or shop-bought). Gingerbread men would also look cute!

Recipe Tips For These Mulled Wine Christmas Trifles

• Glass size matters: The serving glasses I used hold 360ml, and this recipe is designed to create four Christmas trifles with glasses of this size. If your glasses are smaller or larger, the number of trifles you make may vary. Feel free to use ramekins, jars, or small pots as alternatives—just adjust the layers accordingly.
• Vege-gel vs. gelatine: If using Vege-gel, bring the liquid to a full boil. Regular gelatine, however, should not reach boiling point as it won’t set properly. Instead, just heat the mixture until the powder is dissolved and liquid has thickened slightly.
• Perfecting the cream: It’s best to under whisk the cream because it will thicken up when piped. If it splits, gently stir in more double cream to bring it back to a smooth consistency.
• Panettone options: Experiment with flavours like classic, chocolate, or fruit-infused varieties. I used a mini cranberry & orange panettone (100g) and sliced it into 4 equally sized layers. A round cookie cutter the same size as your serving glasses, would also help achieve the perfect sponge size.
• Prepping ahead: You can assemble the Christmas trifles one day ahead, but add the decorations just before serving to keep them fresh and vibrant.

Mulled Wine Christmas Trifles

There is something so nostalgic and retro about these Mulled Wine Christmas Trifles! Dive into the trifles to find layers of mulled wine jelly, creamy orange mascarpone, and soft panettone sponge. Elegantly finished with ground cinnamon, frosted cranberries, and a snowflake gingerbread biscuit, they’re a perfect dessert to enjoy during Christmas. This recipe makes four individual trifles but can easily be scaled up or down for larger gatherings or a dessert for two!

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Prep: 20 minutes minutes

Chilling time: 2 hours hours

Total: 2 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Equipment

• 4 Trifle glasses
• Piping bags

Ingredients

For the mulled wine jelly:

• 200 millilitres Cold water
• 1 sachet (6.5g) Vegetarian gelatin powder I used Dr Oetker Vege-gel
• 1 Cinnamon stick
• 300 millilitres Cranberry juice
• 3 tablespoons Whittard Mulled Wine Instant Tea

For the orange mascarpone cream:

• 250 grams Mascarpone cheese
• 1 medium Orange zest of the whole orange and juice of half
• 75 grams Icing sugar
• 300 millilitres Double Cream

For the sponge layer:

• 100 grams Mini panettone (flavour of your choice) I used a cranberry & orange panettone, which paired beautifully with the mulled wine flavours

For the decorations:

• Ground cinnamon for dusting
• Gingerbread biscuits either shop-bought or make your own using my easy gingerbread recipe
• Frosted cranberries Here's the recipe

Metric – US Customary

Instructions

Start by making the mulled wine jelly:

• Pour the cold water into a saucepan. Sprinkle the gelatin powder on top and stir until dissolved. Add the cranberry juice, cinnamon stick and Whittard Mulled Wine Instant Tea.
  200 millilitres Cold water, 1 sachet (6.5g) Vegetarian gelatin powder, 1 Cinnamon stick, 300 millilitres Cranberry juice, 3 tablespoons Whittard Mulled Wine Instant Tea
• Place over medium heat and heat the mixture until it reaches boiling point.
• Remove the cinnamon stick and pour the mixture into a jug. Divide equally between four glasses/ramekins (the ones I used have a 360ml capacity). Chill in the fridge for 2 hours or until set.

Make the orange mascarpone cream:

• Whisk the mascarpone, orange (juice and zest) and icing sugar together until smooth.
  250 grams Mascarpone cheese, 1 medium Orange, 75 grams Icing sugar
• Add the double cream and whisk on high speed until the cream is thick and looks like soft, pillowy clouds. Be careful not to over-whisk otherwise the cream can split. It will continue to thicken up when it's piped into the glasses, so it's best to under-whisk. Spoon the cream into a piping bag and snip off the end.
  300 millilitres Double Cream

Time to assemble the trifles:

• Divide half of the orange mascarpone cream evenly between your trifle glasses.
• Cut the mini panettone into rounds and trim the size so they fit nicely inside your glasses. You could also use a round cookie cutter the same size as your glasses to cut out the sponge. Place one sponge inside each glass.
  100 grams Mini panettone (flavour of your choice)
• Divide the remaining cream evenly between the pots, filling each to the top.
• To finish, dust the ground cinnamon and add your decorative bits and bobs. I used frosted cranberries and gingerbread snowflake biscuits.
  Gingerbread biscuits, Frosted cranberries, Ground cinnamon

Video

Notes

Best eaten the same day or can be stored covered in the fridge overnight.